Overview & Reviews

There are affordable cars, and then there are cars that offer thrilling performance. Rarely do the two ever converge, but Japanese automaker Mazda has made it a tradition of coming up with vehicles that combine both of these eminently desirable traits.

The Toyo Cork Kogyo Company, founded in 1920 in Hiroshima, Japan, used the name "Mazda" for its first three-wheeled truck, built in 1931. Company founder Jujiro Matsuda chose the word "Mazda" because it was the name of the Zoroastrian god of good and light. Work on a small sedan began in the late 1930s, but development was halted so the company could pitch in with Japan's war effort. In the wake of World War II and the rebuilding that followed, the company refocused its efforts on car development and manufacturing.

By 1960, the first Mazda automobile -- the R360 coupe -- was developed, and the company's foray into the production of passenger vehicles began in full force. Other landmark developments were soon to follow. In 1961, the company entered into a technical partnership with NSU and Wankel to develop and produce rotary engines, a union that led to Mazda's distinguishing itself as the only manufacturer to offer three engine configurations: conventional gasoline piston, diesel and rotary. The '60s also saw the introduction of the company's first pickup, the B-Series 1500, as well as its first rotary-engine vehicle, the 110S Cosmo Sport.

Mazda began selling cars in the U.S. in 1970. In the early part of the decade, the automaker rolled out the RX-2. Powered by the noted 12A rotary, the RX-2 introduced America to Mazda's effort to build cars that were affordable and fun to drive. The decade also saw the introduction of the RX-3, RX-4 and now iconic rotary-powered RX-7 sports car. In 1979, Ford Motor Company purchased a 25 percent stake in Mazda after the Japanese company encountered a number of financial difficulties.

The 1980s was a decade of rebirth for Mazda. The company officially took on the Mazda name (though all its vehicles since its launch in the '20s have carried that brand). It also witnessed an upswing in sales sparked by successful new products like the 323 (which was first called the GLC in the American market) and 626. The 1990 model year saw the launch of a car that would prove a huge hit for Mazda: the MX-5 Miata. Lauded for its ultra-responsive handling and affordability, the drop top has been a consistent favorite, and now holds the distinction of being the world's best-selling roadster.

Mazda began the 1990s with a bang by winning Le Mans with the 787B; it was the first time a Japanese automaker had won the prestigious race, and marked the only win for a rotary engine. Vehicles like the RX-7 and MX-5 Miata scored kudos from automotive journalists, and landed on many top 10 lists. However, save for the Miata, the company's vehicles experienced declining sales in the U.S., and the company's fortunes suffered as a result.

The new millennium has seen Mazda regain its stride, as the automaker has invested in new development. Models like the Mazda 2 and CX-9 have broadened the lineup and won over a whole new generation of fans, while the enthusiast-oriented RX-8 and Mazdaspeed performance models have exemplified the company's spirited philosophy. Most recently, Mazda has focused on designing its cars to be as fuel-efficient as possible while also still being fun to drive and affordable to own.

User Reviews:

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  My Awesome 626. Love her to death. - 1999 Mazda 626
  By Javes - May 2 - 11:23 pm

  Alright, so I bought this great piece of engineering my sophomore year of high school. I am now a sophomore in college. I love this vehicle! Small but, "quick" 2 liter engine coupled with the five speed manual is great to drive. Dont buy an auto, LOL. No fun, at all (and unreliable), great interior, clean, with a decent sound system. (I remember, it was decent. Lost the cd player at about. 145,000 miles.) power antenna is great! People just dont take care of them (grease) and say that its mazdas fault. (sorry, its yours.) clutch is still going, at 165,000 miles! As the reliability reports says, the intake gasket does go, I replaced mine at 135,000. No major problems since.

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  Its Okay but I would not buy another - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By crankychick - May 2 - 6:20 pm

  Have had our vehicle for over a year. Power steering keeps cutting out, brakes squeak like mad in the rain, dealer seems unable to fix either problem. We drive 34,000 km per year, are a family of 5 with 3 smaller sized teens, this is our only car. No where in the middle seats to put a drink down (our vehicle does not have the under seat fold out holder - which is annoying in itself). The back window never seems to stay clean, no matter how often we wash it, car washes seem to never get the whole back of the car. It is fun to drive, and looks great, gets excellent mileage BUT it is uncomfortable, and the person in the back row is either hot or cold. Needs AWD for North American snow

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  Great Little SUV - 2004 Mazda Tribute
  By dball1 - April 29 - 9:36 am

  Weve had ours since May of 04 and have never had a hiccup out of it. The only issues we corrected were the horrendous Continental tires. The volume knob on the radio is a bit sticky, but thats about it.

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  8k miles driven - 2016 Mazda CX-3
  By Jim C. - April 28 - 1:14 am

  Great car, loaded with goodies My only gripe is the back seat room. If you dont like little footprints on the back of the front seats, then this car is not for you! The only issue I have is the radio/ Navigation. The system tends to reboot on its own from time to time when the USB ports are being used. Dealer could not reproduce the problem!

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  No better balanced Sports Car for the $$ - 2004 Mazda RX-8
  By rxeightr - April 23 - 10:00 am

  Seats 4 full-size adults, smooth tranny, great power, sweet sounding RENESIS rotary that loves to be revved to 9K rpm, no rattles after 3500 miles, avg 21-22 mpg, 50/50 weight distribution at 3,100 lbs, and looks fantastic. But the best part is the awesome handling characteristics, while still providing a firm but comfortable ride. What other car for $30K gives you all this?

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  RX-8 vs. RX-7 - 2004 Mazda RX-8
  By Rotary Lover - April 23 - 10:00 am

  I had my RX-7 for 13 years.... waited for the RX-8 for approximately 3 years.... and FINALLY IT ARRIVED! So, far Im really enjoy it. I ride solo a lot, so theres plenty of room for me. Heads are TURNING!

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  Nice little unit - 2007 Mazda Mazda3
  By robb - April 21 - 6:06 am

  Fun to drive. It has a lot of nice little "luxury" items standard in this model. I am 64" and my wife is 53" and we both can fit, though when I am driving my right leg is a little tight against the console. The passenger side is very comfortable. Only real complaint is there is a LOT of road noise, tires and wind are a lot louder than I was expecting

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  Sold Benz for the CX-7 - 2007 Mazda CX-7
  By Steve - April 20 - 2:33 am

  Was tired of commuting and carting kids to sporting events in a car that had bad gas mileage and was always dirty. Selected the Mazda as an affordable, reliable and bad weather capable car that I wouldnt mind getting a bit dirty. Looked at the Tribeca and RDX. Tribeca drove like a mini van and the MDX was overpriced.

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  Pretty good value & great handling - 2012 Mazda CX-9
  By abarge527 - April 19 - 6:56 pm

  We bought the vehicle after exhaustively comparing it to the Toyota Highlander and Acura MDX. In the end, we bought the Mazda because (a) the only area the Highlander was better was fuel economy, and (b) the MDX, while a better car in terms of luxury, features, and style, was considerably more expensive and given a feature-by-feature comparison, the Mazda was a much better value. Overall we are happy with the CX-9 and dont regret the decision. After having it for 2+ years, we are in a position to offer a long-term review of plusses and minuses which we hope the manufacturer reads and makes use of.

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  TIPS - 2005 Mazda Tribute
  By Tony Conti - April 19 - 7:33 am

  NICE SUV VERY BAD ON GAS